


Steamy

by Rikku



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Bathhouse Kisses, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Miscommunication, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-23 16:50:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14938154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rikku/pseuds/Rikku
Summary: (Set during Episode 16.)Fjord takes a sobered-up Molly and Beau to the bathhouse. There are smooches.(Very mild hints of dubcon in that Fjord thinks Molly might still be under the influence, but no he is just very fond of kissing)





	Steamy

After the drugs wore off they all went to the bathhouse. Fjord wasn’t sure bathing was the best idea when both his teammates looked weak as kittens, but Fjord had a soft spot for Beau a mile wide and Mollymauk was convincing even sober. Fjord was starting to have a soft spot for Molly too, but that was something he’d keep to himself. Bad enough sharing a room with the man, he didn’t need Molly to know he’d flip a somersault for a flash of his smile.

The Steam’s Respite was easier to get in with less of their company, another thing Fjord would keep to himself. He had plenty things like that.

“Enjoy yourselves,” Miss Rima said as Fjord handed over the silver. Molly would probably pay him back later in some extravagant way. Beau definitely wouldn’t. Rima smiled, showing her tusks, and in his return smile Fjord kept his own lips pressed tight together, an old habit. The bathhouse attendant said, “There aren’t too many folk in there this time of the evening.”

She seemed relieved they wouldn’t bother anyone. Fjord was not surprised. 

“What a nice lady,” Molly said dreamily as they passed through into the next room. The tiefling leaned up against him, and Fjord was aware of his warmth on all their points of contact: shoulder and hip and leg. “Do you think she’d want any skein?”

Fjord tensed. “Uhh, I don’t think—”

Molly laughed softly, dropping an arm over his shoulders and hugging him loosely. “Relax, darling, I’m joking.”

“Those vials were a gold piece each, don’t waste your money,” Fjord said, and Molly laughed again. His laugh was warm and bright and Fjord could never quite tell whether it was sincere or not. Whether anything about Molly was sincere, really, or whether because nothing about him was true that meant maybe everything was.

“We’ll see if the water’s warm or not, and then we’ll see if I tip,” Molly said, lying, he always tipped  
“I’m going to dive right in,” Beau said, and then slapped her two hands together. “ _Sploosh_. Like that.”

“Don’t terrorise anyone too much,” Fjord said, but without really meaning it, and she was already gone. He grinned.

The two of them passed into the changing room rather slower. Molly had a way of sauntering. Beau’s clothes were scattered messily over the ground, and Fjord didn’t envy Jester rooming with her.

The air in here was warm and wet with steam from the bath next door, but not enough to hide anything. Molly slipped out of his clothes easily and with a complete lack of self-consciousness. He did like bathhouses. For the luxury or because of what he said about hard conversations being easier when everyone was naked, Fjord did not know. He was at least half sure Molly was joking about the naked thing, but then again.

“Don’t be scared to take off your armour,” Molly said seriously. Fjord looked at him with a start. Molly was looking away from him, folding his clothes up neatly with his mouth curved in a smile. “If anything nasty attacks us in here, Beau will protect you.”

“Piss off,” Fjord said amicably and took off his breastplate.

He shed his armour and then clothes quick and efficient. Just two men who worked together disrobing, nothing to worry about, nothing odd here. Molly hummed to himself, a little off key, and the music filled the room. Fjord should get into the bath room and make sure Beau hadn’t done anything too foolish. They’d both said the drug had worn off, but, well, Molly was humming.

But. Well. It was Molly.

He turned impatiently just as Molly took off his last garment, a long loose shirt, stretching as he placed it with the rest. Fjord’s gaze caught and snagged on him, the lines of his body, the intersection of curves and sharps: the curl of horn and sharp jut of chin and hip and the tattoos over everything.

Molly turned, and caught him looking.

Fjord flushed but didn’t look away, an excuse coming ready to mind – the tattoos, he could comment on those. Molly met his gaze, then looked down, taking the measure of him in turn. Looking. Fjord flushed deeper, as those red eyes wandered over his body, down and back up, and Molly’s mouth curved into a smile. Not a smirk, a smile, soft and warm.

Fjord grinned back helplessly. He could never help it when it was Molly.

“Mm, hello,” Molly said, and swayed forward and kissed him.

The kiss was softer than he would have expected, and sweet, Molly’s lips barely brushing against his. Fjord opened his mouth in surprise, and Molly hummed a single note, finally in key. He lifted a hand to rest lightly against Fjord’s neck, and the pinprick sting of his claws was pleasant contrast to the light soft touch of his mouth as Molly swayed forward.

Fjord leaned forward and kissed back, fearing he was too quick or decisive, or else not decisive enough. Molly’s breath had a fungal tinge, like maybe it was a contact high that had Fjord’s head spinning at his touch, but he knew it wasn’t. Just Molly, kissing him.

Molly swayed back, but he was smiling. 

“I have been trying not to do that,” he confided. His eyes were bright, as though that were any pleasant kind of secret.

“Oh,” Fjord managed. The bitter twist of disappointment was no stranger to him. He could live with it.

Molly frowned just a little, lifting a hand to rest on his face. Fjord stayed still and blinked at him. He didn’t lean into the touch, but he yearned to. “I forget why,” Molly said softly, and ran his thumb easily over Fjord’s cheek, pressing it to his lips. “Such a pity,” he said, forlorn.

Fjord grimaced a bit. Molly grinned, delighted, hand cupping his chin. “The damn teeth?” he said, and Molly nodded, eyelids sweeping down, looking sad. He had not reacted as much before, so the drug might still be affecting him. It would be wise to keep that in mind.

Fjord did not keep it in mind, at all. He had never been known for being wise. “I can kiss fine without them,” he snapped, and put a hand on Molly’s horn to tug him forward. Molly went easy, grinning, grinning into the kiss, nipping lightly at Fjord’s lip and then chuckling when Fjord gasped into it.

Molly’s hand drifted up, scratching lightly at the hair at the base of his head, an odd feeling but soothing. Fjord wrapped his fingers in Molly’s hair, mindful of the jewellery that still hung from him bright as stars, and gave a gentle tug, and Molly leaned back a moment to beam at him before crashing in for another kiss, eyes closed and mouth insistent on Fjord’s. Fjord leaned into his warmth and kissed him gently and slow and thoroughly, feeling his mouth and Molly’s warm skin under his hand and the soft scents of perfume and soap in the air and everything lovely, lovely.

Half an hour ago Molly had been sitting in a graveyard babbling whatever nonsense came to mind, high off his mind on skein.

Fjord disentangled his hand and pulled back, eyes dropping to the ground. He opened his mouth to apologise then closed it, clearing his throat. The right words would come, in time, they always did: if they didn’t he could just be bluffly charming until they did, and that had always worked fine.

Maybe he didn’t need words, or to sternly tell Molly _stop_! like he should’ve had from the start if he had the least sense or remotely wanted him to: Molly smiled at him with his brows drawn low, a sad little smile.

“I’ve made you uncomfortable,” he said, and he danced his hand in the air in front of Fjord, not quite touching his chest. He had not been shy of that before. “There’s another first,” he added, lighter. “How exciting.”

He pushed open the door and exited the room into the wave of steam, already talking to Beau. Fjord heard him say, “Tell me your intentions toward my Yasha!” and the familiar sound of Beau’s exasperated groan.

Alone in the changing room Fjord stood quite still, and adjusted the sit of the towel on his hips. He tongued at one tusk, reaching up a hand automatically, but managed to divert it from picking at his tooth. Instead he ran a finger over his lips where Molly had kissed.

Had wanted to kiss, he said. 'Wanted' meant for a while, or at least not just on a drug whim.

Perhaps later after this wore off they could talk. There was plenty of space in their room, and time to explore. Plenty of lovely things to enjoy, if the world would allow them that.

_Consume_ said a voice that was not his, and Fjord nodded. Something like that.

He padded after him into the bath, breathing in the sweet warm scent.


End file.
